Monday morning the Baker-Polito Administration awarded $500,000 to nine projects through the Urban Agenda Grant Program. The Revere arm of The Neighborhood Developers (TND) was one group given $50,000 in funding to help establish workforce development services in Revere to support local residents to acquire newly created jobs.
Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito along with Housing and Economic Development Secretary Jay Ash came to Revere City Hall to present the check to the Neighborhood Developers.
“Our administration understands the importance of local leadership and its impact on the lives of residents,†said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito. “The Urban Agenda Grant Program relies on the strong partnerships between local government, non-profits and the business community that are critical to fostering economic success and building stronger neighborhoods in every region in Massachusetts.â€
Revere is rebuilding its economic and employment base by utilizing large-scale and high value assets including Suffolk Downs, Wonderland, a soon-to-close NECCO plant, and the MassDevelopment TDI Waterfront District.
The program seeks to unlock community-driven responses to local obstacles, and promote economic development opportunities through partnership-building, problem solving, and shared accountability in urban centers. The competitive awards offer flexible funding for local efforts that bring together community stakeholders to pursue economic development initiatives. These awards will fund projects in Boston, Clinton, Framingham, Greenfield, Holyoke, Lowell, New Bedford, Revere and Springfield. Funding will support workforce development, small businesses, and entrepreneurship initiatives.
“Stable, vital communities have the support of effective non-profits, successful local businesses, and committed municipal leadership,†said Housing and Economic Development Secretary Jay Ash. “Today’s awards address tough challenges in our urban centers by empowering these important coalitions to identify their resources, work together towards shared goals and create new opportunities for residents.â€
The Commonwealth’s Urban Agenda is focused on promoting economic vitality and cultivating stronger urban neighborhoods across Massachusetts. The Baker-Polito administration recognizes that urban centers face unique economic and quality-of-life challenges, and that the path to success lies in tapping into the unique local assets that they already possess, rather than in one-size-fits-all directives from government.
“The Urban Agenda $50,000 Grant will help fund The Neighborhood Developers to establish a satellite office in Revere of CONNECT to serve as an access point to CONNECT’S one-stop career center and financial capability services,†said Revere Mayor Brian M. Arrigo. “Thanks to this grant, Revere can turn to the talented, dedicated staff at CONNECT for help finding a job, developing employment skills, and growing skills vital to personal management of household finances.â€
“The Neighborhood Developers is at the forefront of promoting economic diversity, opportunity, and quality of life for Revere’s most vulnerable populations through their extraordinary collaboration with city and state government,†said Sen. Joseph A. Boncore. “This grant provides Revere and TND the opportunity to build on that success by investing in strategic growth and development.â€
“Urban Agenda grants are a vital tool in helping our cities leverage their strengths to address the issues unique to each community,†said House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo. “I am pleased that Revere and The Neighborhood Developers have been awarded funding to support workforce development and training programs that will better prepare our residents for the city’s changing economic landscape.â€
“The Urban Agenda Grant Program is a wonderful example of how the state can partner with cities to help foster and cultivate economic vitality in communities like Revere,†said State Rep. RoseLee Vincent. “I would like to thank the administration for their generosity in granting Revere these funds, and I want to thank Mayor Arrigo and the Neighborhood Developers for working together to establish a CONNECT Center for residents of Revere. This will surely become an asset to our community by helping residents gain critical workforce development tools.â€
In 2016, the Baker-Polito Administration awarded $3 million in grant funding to thirteen communities for the inaugural round of the Urban Agenda Grant Program. Urban Agenda is administered by the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development (EOHED), and offers flexible grant funding to support creative local partnerships. The program is for neighborhoods across Massachusetts that have developed partnerships that leverage existing economic assets, target specific workforce populations, define their economic development and quality-of-life goals, and deliver on those goals.